Riko tried to get any kind of stat boost, some kind of power surge, anything from the system that usually answered him right away. But the screen on his arm just froze when he tried to use it. The display flickered, jumping between menus, and then went dim blue, like it was running out of juice. He tapped the screen like crazy, but nothing happened. His heart was pounding in his chest.
No, no, no—come on! he said, swiping at the messed-up screen.
But the system wasn't working. Not even close.
Behind him, the Debug Monster scurried on the broken floor, its limbs twitching like someone was controlling them with the wrong commands. Every time it moved, the blocks around it warped, flickered, or just disappeared. It wasn't just walking; it was screwing up the world just by being there.
Luna wobbled next to Riko when the gravity messed up again, pulling her up a bit before dropping her back down. She grabbed Riko's arm. Hey! Tell me you have something! Anything!
I'm trying! Riko snapped, even though he knew she wasn't blaming him. Her scared voice just made him even more scared. It won't load. It won't even show my stats.
Kaze was in front of them, standing between them and the Debug Monster. He didn't look back—he didn't need to—but you could tell he didn't trust the system either. Not here, in this messed-up place where the rules didn't work anymore.
The monster twitched, fixing its messed-up body. Its head turned all the way around without making a sound, like it was seeing how far it could go. Its chest pulsed again with that spinning loading circle. When the symbol spun faster, its limbs got straighter. When it slowed, its body seemed heavier.
And now… it was spinning fast.
Too fast.
Riko hit the screen with his palm. System! Load something! I don't care what—just give me a stat!
Static buzzed across the screen. The symbols shook, turning into nonsense, then blurring together. He felt heat through his sleeve—hot and sharp, like the screen was burning his skin. It buzzed, then short-circuited with a visual glitch.
Luna flinched. Riko… I think it's dying.
It can't die! Riko snapped, angrier at himself than her. It can't die!
But he was scared, really scared.
The Debug Monster crouched.
Riko held his breath.
It was going to jump.
Kaze! he yelled.
I know. Kaze didn't move. He just watched the monster, figuring out every twitch in its limbs. It's going to hit left, then right, then straight. Don't follow the first two. They're fake.
Luna looked at him, confused. How do you know that?
Kaze didn't say anything.
He just moved forward.
The ground shook. The blocks under the Debug Monster's feet rippled, like a pebble dropped in water—but the ripple was sharp, like a computer image, tearing small holes in the ground. The air around the monster's limbs warped, bending like heat.
Then it jumped.
Not like an animal, not like a person.
Like a skipped frame in a video.
One second it was crouched.
The next it was right in front of Kaze's face.
It swiped.
Kaze dodged the first hit.
The monster disappeared for a split second, then reappeared behind him, swinging its messed-up limbs in a backhand. Riko yelled to warn him, but Kaze turned left, letting the second hit miss.
Then came the third hit—straight forward. The real one.
Kaze elbowed the monster's neck, the hit cracking through the air. The monster recoiled, its head flickering into three shapes before turning back into its weird face.
It didn't make a sound.
Luna shivered. I'm going to have nightmares forever.
Riko didn't answer. He stared at the screen. He tried to get his stats again—Strength, Speed, anything—but every time he tried, the system froze for a few seconds before going back to the messed-up error screen.
He could feel it—whatever the Debug Monster was doing to the world, it was getting into the system, messing it up.
Come on, he whispered. Give me something to work with.
The screen flickered. A warning popped up—but only some of the letters showed up.
> WA—
W—
W•••
The text broke apart and turned into random characters that shook on the screen before fading away. Riko tugged at his hair, frustrated. It won't work right!
Kaze dodged another flickering hit, this one slicing a block in half without touching it. Even the world reacted late; the block only broke into pixels after the monster pulled back its limb.
Luna pulled Riko back as gravity shifted again. We can't stay here! If this keeps happening, we're going to fall into nothing!
Riko clenched his jaw. If we leave, it'll follow us. If we fight it, I can't even use my stats.
The monster's head turned toward him—like it heard him.
Its loading circle flashed red.
A strong pulse went through the ground, knocking Riko down. The system on his arm spazzed out, the symbols turning into gibberish. For a few seconds, he felt nothing from the system—no buzzing, no glow, nothing. Just silence.
Then it sparked a little.
A dim window appeared.
Riko looked at it.
Luna looked at it.
Even Kaze looked back for a second.
The system's voice came out as a shaky whisper, like it was scared.
Fight carefully. They consume errors.